Suicide bomber kills 20 in Falluja

A suicide bomber killed at least 20 people and wounded another 20 in the Iraqi city of Falluja today.

A suicide bomber killed at least 20 people and wounded another 20 in the Iraqi city of Falluja today.

A police spokesman said the bomber, wearing a suicide explosives vest, walked up to a queue of about 150 men at a police recruitment centre and blew himself up.

He put the total number of killed and wounded at between 45 and 50.

Falluja, 50 kilometres west of Baghdad, lies in the restive Anbar province, which is a stronghold of Sunni Arab insurgency.

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Recruitment centres for Iraqi security forces are common targets for such attacks, which are mostly blamed on Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda groups.

Some Sunni Arab tribes in Anbar have been encouraging young men to join the Iraqi security forces in Anbar as part of a new strategy to combat al-Qaeda in the area.

Al-Qaeda in turn has been waging a campaign against tribes who co-operate with authorities in Anbar.